Greek Easter Bread

Greek Easter bread is a pleasure to make and eat.  This bread is festive and your kids will love to braid the Easter bread.  In addition, you kids will love eating this holiday bread. My three kids ended up eating three large slices of this bread each.  This is the third year I have prepared this bread and each time it gets  better and better.  This holiday bread is sweet from the cinnamon and allspice and will feed your hungry holiday crowd.  This recipe is from Cooking Light, March, 2005 edition.

Greek Easter Bread:
Pre-heat Oven:  350 degrees
Serves: 20

1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup warm water (100 - 110 degrees)
1 teaspoon sugar
dash of salt
2 packages dry yeast or 4 1/2 teaspoons yeast
4 3/4 cup bread flour, divided
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
Parchment paper
1 tablespoon water
1 large egg yolk

In a small bowl, combine the yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar, dash of salt and warm water (100-110 degrees).  Stir and allow to stand for 5 minutes.  The yeast should grow and become foamy. Add one cup of flour to the yeast mixture and stir until combined.  Allow to sit for 20 minutes.

Place the sugar and butter in a mixer and beat with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time and continue to beat until incorporated. Take off the paddle attachment and add the dough hook attachment to the mixer.  Add the allspice, cinnamon, yeast mixture, salt and flour.  Add the flour one cup at a time until a soft dough forms.  Knead the dough by hand on a floured surface for 8 minutes or keep the dough in the mixer for the 8 minutes and allow the mixer to knead the dough for you.  Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise  in a warm place for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.

Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces.  Roll the dough out with your fingers so that it reaches 3/ 14 inch long ropes. Braid the three dough ropes together.  Tuck the ends of the dough under.  Place the bread rope on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or cooking spray. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour in a warm place.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine the egg yolk with the 1 tablespoon water to make an egg wash.  Carefully, brush the egg wash over the top of the bread with a pastry brush.  Bake the bead at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.  Cool on a wire rack. Decorate the Greek Easter bread with colored easter eggs.

Yeast Becoming Foamy

Greek Easter Dough

Braiding the Dough

Greek Easter Bread